West Virginia Needed 104 Plays. Arizona Needed 51. What TCU Should Learn

Last week, I told TCU fans to keep an eye on Arizona and West Virginia during the Horned Frogs’ bye week.

Both teams are still on TCU’s schedule. I wanted to see how West Virginia’s quarterback running game would challenge Arizona’s defense, whether Noah Fifita could produce without his top receivers, and how both teams would respond when things weren’t working.

Arizona won 52-31 Saturday in Morgantown.

But here’s what caught my attention.

West Virginia ran 104 offensive plays, gained 522 yards and scored 31 points. Arizona ran 51 plays, gained 482 yards and scored 52 points, including seven from its defense.

Think about that.

West Virginia ran more than twice as many plays and gained more yards. Arizona still won by three touchdowns.

That’s why I don’t put much stock in total yardage without understanding how those yards were earned. And it tells us something about two problems TCU will have to solve.

West Virginia’s Quarterback Run Game Will Test TCU

Michael Hawkins Jr. finished with 98 rushing yards on 25 carries. Cam Cook added 141 yards on 34 attempts, and Amari Latimer contributed another 55.

Oct 10, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (3) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

West Virginia finished with 303 rushing yards on 76 attempts.

Now, 303 yards sounds like Arizona got its teeth kicked in up front. But 76 attempts changes that conversation. The Mountaineers averaged four yards per carry. That’s certainly not the same as somebody running for 300 yards on 35 attempts.

What interests me more is how West Virginia used that running game to keep possessions alive.

In the third quarter, the Mountaineers put together a 16-play, 92-yard touchdown drive that included two fourth-down conversions by Hawkins.

That’s what concerns me about him. West Virginia is willing to put the football in his hands when it absolutely has to have a yard.

As a linebacker, those are the situations where everybody has to understand who has the quarterback, fit their gap and finish the tackle.

Sometimes the quarterback is the defensive end’s responsibility. Sometimes it’s a linebacker coming over the top. The assignment changes with the call, but somebody has to handle it.

One player gets impatient or starts chasing somebody else’s responsibility, and a routine play becomes a first down.

TCU saw how costly a quarterback’s legs can be against BYU. Hawkins and Bear Bachmeier don’t necessarily attack a defense the same way, but both force you to account for the quarterback as a runner.

TCU can’t afford to lose discipline just because it has already defended the same look fifteen times. West Virginia is perfectly willing to make you do it again.

Arizona’s Defense Gave Up Yards but Won Critical Downs

I wouldn’t look at those 303 rushing yards and assume TCU has found an easy way to attack Arizona.

Sep 19, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive lineman Dominic Lolesio (42) blocks a pass during the first quarter of the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Wildcats recorded ten tackles for loss, recovered two fumbles and stopped West Virginia on five of seven fourth-down attempts.

That’s not a defense that simply got pushed around all afternoon.

Cook’s first fumble became a 32-yard touchdown return by Lee Molette III. His second came near Arizona’s goal line, where Taye Brown recovered the football.

One put points on Arizona’s side of the scoreboard. The other took away a West Virginia scoring opportunity.

You can spend ten or twelve plays moving the football, controlling the clock and wearing down a defense. But if you turn it over or fail on fourth down, all that work can produce nothing.

As a linebacker, I’d still want to study where West Virginia was having success and why Arizona won those critical downs. The box score won’t explain every assignment.

It does tell us that moving the ball against Arizona and finishing a possession are two different things.

For TCU, staying out of long-yardage situations will matter. So will protecting the football and turning productive drives into points.

The Frogs’ offensive numbers already show why yardage alone isn’t enough. Arizona gave us another example Saturday.

Noah Fifita Still Found Arizona

Arizona was missing Chris Hunter, Gio Richardson and Tre Spivey, its top three receivers.

Apparently, Fifita wasn’t particularly concerned.

He completed 16 of 23 passes for 341 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Isaiah Mizell, making his first career start, caught six passes for 183 yards and two scores. Brandon Phelps added four catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.

The Wildcats weren’t just completing short passes to get by. They were producing explosive plays.

Mizell turned a short completion into a 72-yard touchdown. Phelps scored on a 42-yard flea flicker.

I’d still want to study West Virginia’s coverage before declaring Fifita unstoppable. A great throw against tight coverage and a receiver running free because somebody missed an assignment tell a defensive coach different things.

But TCU should take this seriously. Fifita showed he could produce without his usual targets.

And when West Virginia threatened to get back into the game, Arizona answered immediately.

After the Mountaineers’ 16-play touchdown drive cut the lead to seven in the third quarter, Arizona went 75 yards in three plays for a touchdown.

When West Virginia made it 38-31 in the fourth, the Wildcats answered with a two-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 58 seconds.

That’s what an explosive offense can do to you. A defense can spend most of a possession doing its job, then give it all back on one snap.

For TCU’s offense, there’s something worth studying in how Arizona created opportunities for the receivers it had available. Kari Ashley has been one of the Frogs’ dependable targets. TCU needs more possessions where that production helps finish a drive.

What TCU Must Prepare for Against West Virginia and Arizona

The Horned Frogs have Baylor first, and that’s where their attention needs to be. The Bears have already shown how they want to win.

Oct 10, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers defensive end David Afogho (99) celebrates after intercepting a pass during the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But West Virginia comes to Fort Worth on October 24, and TCU travels to Arizona on November 6. Saturday gave us a better idea of what awaits.

Against West Virginia, TCU’s defense will have to handle a quarterback-driven rushing attack without getting impatient or abandoning assignments.

Against Arizona, the secondary will have to communicate, tackle and keep ordinary completions from turning into long touchdowns.

Offensively, the Frogs have to finish drives. Arizona showed it can surrender plenty of yardage and still come away with the stops that decide a game.

West Virginia made Arizona work for its defensive stops. Arizona made West Virginia pay for its defensive mistakes.

The Mountaineers can make you defend 100 plays. The Wildcats can beat you in 50.

TCU will have to be prepared for both.

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